Means for preventing ships from sinking.



No. 646,800. Ptented Apr. 3, I900. F. G. BBDUGHTON. MEANS-FDR PREVENTING SHIPS FROM SlNKING.

(Applicatipn mag; s, 1899.) (No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIC FRED GRANTHAM BROUGIIYTONQQF ANERLEY, ENGLAND.

MEANS FOR PREVENTING SHIPSFROM SINKING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 646,890, dated April 3, 1900.

Application filed August 3, 1899. Serial No. 726,036. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it mag concern:

Be it known that I, FRED GRANTHAM BROUGHTON, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at Anerley, in the county of Surrey, England, have invented new and useful Improved Means for Preventing Ships and other Vessels from Sinking, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improved means for preventing ships and other Vessels from sinking. I

In carrying out my invention I provide the vessel with a number of I upright air pipes or vessels extending from the deck down'through the bottom of the vessel, the said air pipes or vessels being closed at their upper ends and open at their lower ends, so that should the vessel by reason of a leak, collision, or from any other cause begin to settle in the water the air incloscd in the said upright pipes is gradually compressed by the water entering them, the contained air being ultimately compressed tosuch anextent that the pressure thereof counterbalances the tendency of. the

vessel to settle, thereby pr'eventing its sink-r ing. My air vessels can be arranged sothat they can be supplied with compress'e d a'ir or other suitable gas in order that the air or gas they contain can be maintained at any desired pressure in. case of leakage, forexample. The air pipesor vessels may beprovided with pressure-gages, if desired, and also with valves, so that incase of avessel listing to one side from any'cause the air can be allowed to escape on'the opposite side.

It will be obvious that the air vessels can be built in the hull of the vessel.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a steamship having my improvements applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of a portion of the hull.

Fig. 3 is a tranversesection of the hull. Fig. 4 is a view of a detail. Figs. 2 and 3 are drawn to a larger scale than Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 to a larger scale than Figs. 2 and 3.

Ct is the hull of the vessel, and b b are the upright air pipes, vessels, or chambers which extend from the deck a of the vessel to the bottom of the hull, the upper ends being closed and the lower ends opening under the water-level, as clearly shown.

In the drawings I have shown the upright air vessels with an enlarged upper .part 1), although the said vessels may be of the same cross-sectional area throughout. These air vessels may be entirely closed at their upper ends, as indicated in Fig. 1; but I prefer to ends normally closed by a valve, as shown in Figs 2 and 3 and as hereinafter described.

In the arrangement illustrated the air ves- In this instance and provide them with an opening at their upper sels b b are designed to be supplied with com- 1 able manner, and connected to the pipe 61 for supplying compressedair to the air pipes or chambers 12 b.

ca are the valves with which the upper ends of the air-pipes b b are provided for enabling the air in any one vessel to beallowed t0 escape for example, when the vessel lists toone side, in which case the valves 6 e on the opposite side of the vessel are opened, so as-t0 allow the vessel to sink on that side.

f f are the valves orcocks which are provided at the lower ends of the air vessels or pipes 19 b for the purpose of cutting off the water-inlet in case the said air-pipes should become leaky. These cocks or valves can advantageously be operated from the deck through the medium of the upright rods 9 9, having handles g g and the upper ends of which are provided with two teeth or shoulders g 9 adapted to bearupon the upper part of an undercut recessed socket or catch h, as clearly shown in Fig. 4. The lower end of each rod 9 is pivoted to a lever 'i, forming the handle of each cock or valve, so that by scribed should leakage supervene from any cause-for example, as the result of a collisionthe tendency of the vessel to sink is counterbalanced by the pressure of the air contained in the air vessels or pipes b 1) upon the surface of the water which tends to enter the lower open ends of the said vessels or pipes 11.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is 1. In a ship or vessel, the combination with the hull, of a series of air-chambers provided with vertically-disposed normally-open portions extending outside the hull below the water-line, whereby in case the vessel settles in the water, the upward pressure of the water in said vertical portions, will compress the air in said air-chambers until the pressure thereof counter-balances the tendency of the vessel to sink, substantially as described.

2. In a ship or vessel, the combination with the hull, of a series of vertically-disposed airchambers, located therein provided with vertically-disposed normally-open portions extending outside the hull below the water-line, said air-chambers being provided with airoutlets and closing-devices for said air-outlets, whereby in case the vessel settles in the water, the upward pressure of the water in said open portions of the air-chambers will compress the air in said chambers until the pressure thereof counterbalances the tendency of the vessel to sink, substantially as described.

3. In a ship or vessel the combination with the hull, of a series of vertically-disposed airchambers having normally-open portions extending outside the hull below the water-line, whereby the upward pressure of the water in said open portions will tend to compress the air in said chambers in case the vessel settles, and means for supplying air or gas under pressure to increase the fluid-pressure in said chambers, when desired, substantially as described.

4, In a ship or vessel, the combination with the hull, of a series of vertically-disposed airchambers, located at different points longitudinally of the hull, and provided with normally-open portions extending outside the hull below the water-line, whereby in case the vessel settles the upward pressure of the water in said open portions will tend to compress the air until the pressure thereof counterbalances the tendency of the vessel to settle, a fluid-compressing device, and connections between said compressing device and said chambers for supplying them with fluid under pressure when desired to increase the downward pressure of the compressed fluid upon the water, substantially as described.

5. In a ship or vessel, the combination with the hull, of a series of vertically-disposed airchambers, each havinganormally-open lower portion extending outside the hull, below the water-line, and an air-outlet aperture adjacent to its upper end, valves for closing said air-outlet apertures, and valves for closing said normally-open lower portions, whereby in case the vessel settles in the water, said airoutlet valves being closed and said lower portions being open, the upward pressure of the water in the lower portions of said air-chambers will compress the air therein until the pressure thereof counterbalances the tendency of the vessel to settle, substantially as described.

6. In a ship or vessel, the combination with the hull, of a series of vertically-disposed airchambers provided with openings at their upper ends, and having their lower ends opening outside of the hull below the water-line, controlling-valves for said openings in the upper ends of said chambers, controlling-valves for controlling the admission of water through their lower ends, and means for supplying compressed air to said chambers,substantially as described.

FRED GRANTIIAM BROUGII TON.

Witnesses:

O. G. REDFERN, A. ALBUTT. 

